"Why did you stop?" the detective asked, adjusting himself in his seat.

"Because you already know the rest of the story," Pauline answered quietly.

"Well, you weren't lying, that machine over there didn't buzz once. So, you're telling me that your friend framed you by leaving you in there with the Sword of Bayln?"

"Yes, and she's no friend, just Amanda Walker."

"I see, well, thank you for your time."

Pauline nodded and followed the officer back to her cell.

Finally, after nine weeks of trials and interviews, Pauline Clary was cleared of the crime that she was falsely accused of. She continued college where she left off and found a steady job at an office not too far from school, so she could easily get to classes on time. Rumors had spread throughout her trials and every time she entered a crowd, she heard mumbling about her past problems, but she learned to ignore them, knowing none of them were true. The attention however, always made her uncomfortable and embarrassed.

Nobody in her college or work wanted to be acquainted with her because they were afraid of the woman she was in gossip and news. The only person she could have a real conversation with was Father James at church and her father, who was still under the veil or grief from her mother's death. Smokey would walk crazy-eights around Pauline's legs when she entered the house, or lay next to her as she worked on homework; the charcoal grey cat, of course, had no idea what had happened to keep Pauline away for so long. College, work, the Bible verse, "I can do all things through God, who gives me strength," and knowing her mother was resting in peace in heaven, kept Pauline's chin up through these trying times.

After Sunday morning Mass, Pauline had stopped by a statue of Blessed Mother Mary, to bathe in the peaceful radiance at the sight of the beautiful work of art. A young man, who looked strangely familiar, stood next to her and asked, "She's the prettiest woman ever huh? Both spiritually and physically."

"Yes," Pauline replied, shifting nervously.

"You're Pauline Clary right?"

"Yes," Pauline answered, feeling her face grow warm.

He smiled warmly at her and held out his hand, "I'm Steven Combs, weren't you in the Bible study two years ago with the home-schooled seniors?"

Pauline slowly pulled out her hand from her coat pocket and shook his hand, knowing her face was probably redder than her hair, "Yeah, you were the class clown weren't you?"

"That was me," he chuckled, running a hand through his hair, "And I remember you being the youngest and always sitting in the corner with Maxine, it's a shame she moved to Colorado."

Pauline nodded and turned toward the doors to the lobby, "Well, I ought to be going-"

"Wait," he stepped in front of her, "do...do you want to grab some breakfast with me?"

Pauline was stunned, never in her life had she ever pictured something like this, face to face with a young man, who just asked her out, and seemed just as nervous as she was now. She knew him from class and her dad knew his family very well, maybe now was a chance to fulfil her mom's wish to make a friend. Taking a deep breath, she replied with a bright smile, "Sure."